Weekend watchlist: 10 TV shows and movies to check out

‘Mimi’ (Netflix): If you can put aside concerns such as logic and law, you’ll probably enjoy this movie, which centres on surrogacy in India. Kriti Sanon plays aspiring dancer Mimi who is talked into being a surrogate for an American couple by Pandey (Pankaj Tripathi) for a lot of money. Then comes the prenatal screening and a shock that will upend all her dreams. This film doesn’t handle the subject with tact or power — but it does funny well.

‘Criminal’ (Netflix): This TV series plays out quite like a play; each episode is complete in itself and features a suspect being interrogated by investigators. There are not too many locals to detract you from the intensity of the actors — who draw you in with dialogue and screen presence, creating a drama you will barely be able to tear yourself away from.

‘Little Evil’ (Netflix): Step children can sometimes feel like Satan spawn — but what happens if your stepson actually is? In this horror-comedy, Adam Scott’s character finds himself newly married and father to a boy who he believes has supernatural powers and is out to kill him.

‘Reminiscence’ (UAE cinemas): Set in the future, this sci-fi movie tells the mind-bending story of Nick Bannister (Hugh Jackman), a private investigator who helps people retrieve lost memories. He takes on a new client Mae (Rebecca Ferguson), who needs to remember where she has put her keys. However, she disappears and it leads Nick down a path of obsession.

‘Respect’ (UAE cinemas): Delve into the past and get to know the icon that is Aretha Franklin. This biopic follows her career starting from when the late Franklin was a child singing in her father’s church choir to her international stardom.

‘Stillwater’ (UAE cinemas): Hollywood actor Matt Damon reportedly teared up when his movie ‘Stillwater’ got a standing ovation when it had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. Now here’s your chance to watch this emotional drama about Damon’s character Bill Baker, an Oklahoma oil-rig worker, who travels to Marseille on free his daughter (Abigail Breslin) who is jailed for murdering her girlfriend.

‘The Green Knight’: Dev Patel stars in this fantasy adventure based on the Arthurian legend. The actor stars as Sir Gawain, King Arthur’s headstrong nephew, who decided to go on a quest to confront the eponymous Green Knight, a giant green-skinned person.

‘Everything Will Be Fine’ (Netflix): Created and directed by Diego Luna, this satirical dramedy series releasing on August 20 takes a look at an unconventional family living in Mexico City and explores what it means to be a good parent. In it, a separated couple live together for the sake of their child.

‘Paw Patrol: The Movie’ (UAE cinemas): If your kids have been fans of this popular series, well here’s the movie to keep them occupied. In the new flick, Ryder and the pups are called to Adventure City to stop Mayor Humdinger from turning the bustling metropolis into a state of chaos.

‘Nine Perfect Strangers’ (Amazon Prime Video): Coming to the streamer on August 20, this one’s a series to watch out for. It’s based on the book by Liane Moriarty (who also wrote ‘Big Little Lies’, which was turned into a show), and centres around a luxury wellness resort run by the mysterious Masha (Nicole Kidman). When nine strangers arrive on the promise of having a healing experience, weird things begin to happen.